TNAG-0658-FCO40-807-Policy-of-Government-of-Hong-Kong-on-education-1977 — Page 51

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school; first class headmasters, senior teachers and class teachers

who are dedicated, enthusiastic and well-qualified. If everybody volunteers for redeployment or early retirement I may well find my- self in a position where I must balance the needs of the Service, in this case the Government primary schools which remain, with personal

wishes, and I am sure you will agree that I must put the good of the

Service first. This means that I must redeploy volunteers on a .. selective basis, always bearing in mind the needs of the schools which

remain. You can help me to do this but in the end this will involve the personal decision of each and every teacher affected by the

situation.

Appendix II

8. You are familiar with the principle of "last in

first out",

which normally applies both in Government and in commercial practice in redundancy situations. I would we come your views of this princi- ple in the particular context of surplus Government primary school teachers. If the principle is applied rigidly it will mean that young teachers will be asked to accept redeployment or retirement

before older teachers, and this could have the effect of robbing

our Government primary schools of young blood. Then there is the problem of younger teachers with special qualifications, and here I am thinking of teachers with English or with 2-year qualifications

rather than 1-year qualifications. Quite clearly we should not create

a situation in which Government primary schools are deprived of the services of better qualified or specially qualified young staff. Accordingly, I put it to you that the "last in- first out" principle

should be applied selectively to certain categories of teachers, and you will find a paper attached which decribes the mode, establish- ment of a Government primary school and how selection might work.

?

9.

T

I have told you that the Executive Council has advised and that H..the Governor has ordered that there shall be no permanent "disestablishment" of Government primary schools but that the solution to our surplus primary school teacher problen must be achieved

over the next 3 years by September 1980. I think you will agree that this is a realistic decision in the public interest and that 3 years' notice of a problem is fair. At a previous Council

At a previous Council eting, a spokes-

man for the Secretary for the Civil Service was at some pains to assure

you that the Government is a humane employer and that every effort will be made to find a post in other Government Department for sur- plus primary school teachers who cannot be re-deployed to other areas

-/of the Department.....

Y